Invasion of Shale Part 1
by Camcake
Summary: A 6-4 unit are sent in to investigate strange tremors on the planet Shale, but when the IMC shows up, things get complicated. New pilots and new titans mean a whole new 6-4 and a whole new family.


"Oh, you have got to be shitting me."

The meteor swarm descending from the sky could only mean one thing: company, a lot of company. A robotic voice alerted the company, "Hostile orbital titanfall detected."

"Why the hell is the IMC sending a full regiment of titans at us?!" Cyclops asked staring at the trails of lights that pierced the flowing purples and greens of Shale's borealis in the night sky. Her voice snapped the rest of the company from their haze with everyone jumping up and springing into action.

Bags of course was the first one moving and the only one capable of giving orders as he shoved his helmet on and slammed the canopy of his vanguard class titan before his deep voice blasted over the comms. "Doesn't matter, I want a full perimeter around this mining facility. Tams, get on the radio and call for evac to get the civies out of dodge. Wrench, you join her and make sure everyone gets out ASAP. This place is gonna look like swiss cheese in a bit."

"Roger."

"They're practically already gone."

XK-4358 slammed a drum of bullets into the massive chain gun while Bags continued to shout orders to the rest of the unit who were either grabbing their weapons or jumping into their own titans. "Maestro, Cyclops, and Tequila, why don't you go show how the 6-4 greets unwelcome guests? Try and route them to the front entrance. If we can get them into a choke hold we may just have a chance at winning this."

"Ooh-ra," Cyclops said hopping into her Northstar variant.

"Music to my ears," Maestro was already in his Legion titan, loading a heapload of C4 into his cockpit.

If a simulacrum could have a concerned look on its face, Tequila's very much would. "You got a plan for all those presents, Maestro?" Tequila was tinkering on top of his souped up Stryder titan, VN-2422, who was loading its leadwall which also seemed to be mimicking its pilot's faceless yet poignant "expression" of concern.

The three of them wasted no time as they and their titans sprinted off to the nearby LZ of the incoming IMC. "So what's the plan, big guy?" Tequila asked.

Maestro and LG-4981 or as he liked to call his titan, Helga, were lagging behind a bit considering the heavier chassis and massive rotary cannon Helga wielded. "I was thinking about sacrificing myself in a hail of bullets and a massive explosion, but I couldn't help but notice VN's upgrades. Is that holotech on VN's chassis, Tequila?"

"Sí," Tequila was still riding atop VN, soldering wires to strange circular devices on the titan's already heavily modified frame. "The main problem is that it eats up a bunch of my battery core. And the holons aren't perfect copies."

"Watch out," the deep voice of VN said as they jumped down into a small rocky canyon. Tequila was bounced up, using his thruster pack to keep him relatively stable as he managed to keep soldering while they sprinted deeper into the canyon. "Hostile titans have landed approximately 3 clicks away."

"Imminent contact with hostiles in minus 10 minutes if targets take direct route to mining base." Helga's much smoother but equally loud voice boomed.

"Thank you very much, Helga," Maestro jumped out of his titan carrying the sacks of explosives. "Cy, I want positional information on our guests. Don't get too close."

"On it," She boosted off into the air while Maestro looked to Tequila who was in the process of climbing into his own titan finally.

"Alright, I have a magnificent idea."

Not five minutes later, Cyclops came flying back to where the other two were located in the camp. "Okay, 6-4, looks like we got the main group coming towards us with a few stragglers trying to get into flanking positions around the facility. Hope this plan of yours works, Maestro, cuz I'm bringing in our guests."

"It will be a beautiful symphony. Get to the top of the north canyon face and hide there till you hear the music start." Cyclops flew up through the rocks to the top of the slope's face, growing more and more concerned as she noticed VN just standing wide open in the middle of the ravine with its hands raised. She knew that Maestro was… ostentatious, especially when he had a plan, but she just hoped that it wouldn't end up with them all dead.

A frightening amount titans were approaching along with Reapers and Stalkers just in case they weren't out numbered enough with all of them having their guns poised at the lone Stryder in the center of the ravine. "We surrender." VN's voice echoed through their comms while several IMC titans approached.

"Look what we got 'ere. A 6-4 deserter? This is a real treat, eh, lads." One of the enemy pilots said, his 60mm cannon pointed straight at VN. "Unfortunately for you we aren't taking prisoners."

Cyclop's heart skipped a beat at the massive round shot straight through VN's chassis before the holographic image of VN disappeared from site while approximately a dozen other fake VN's surged forward "attacking" the IMC.

"It's an ambush!" The IMC pilot managed to shout before both he and his titan collapsed from the super sonic heated shrapnel Cyclops fired had torn through them. The approaching force was caught off guard and no one had realized that Tequila's holons were fake, letting Cyclops have fun in the makeshift shooting range Maestro had set up.

"Beautiful prelude, Tequila. Helga, if you would be so kind as to start the chorus!" Maestro called out over comms. He sounded out of breath, but giddy as the loud whirring of the massive rotary cannon roared to life, and the seemingly unending metal pings of mega caliber titan killing bullet penetrating and ricocheting off high density armor was musical.

The first few seconds of Maestro's newest work had been perfectly executed, and while the shock factor is always a good way to start a symphony, the best way to end it is with a brilliant climax, Maestro thought to himself. The IMC finally managed to discern that most of their forces were in fact not real and began sustained counterfire, pinning Tequila and Cyclops as they were still heavily out gunned. "What's the plan, Maestro, were taking heavy fire here!" Tequila shouted over the comms.

As Maestro slid behind a rock and dropped his cloaking field, he gave a hearty laugh over the comms. "Fear not! My symphony is drawing to a close! All that is left is the crescendo!" And with his last word, he slammed the trigger on his detonator down as the canyon seemed to go silent for a fraction of a moment. Then a deafening explosion and burning wall of fire erupted from the IMC's front line. Maestro jumped back in his titan who had yet to run out of bullets. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the performance." Looking to admire his work, he had done a significant amount of damage to their enemy as they were collecting themselves. A good portion of the approaching army was shrapnel or picking themselves up.

"Encore?" Cyclops asked as she flew back to meet them.

"Perhaps… perhaps." He couldn't help but laugh as they started their retreat back to the mining facility. His chuckling was cut off once as the three of them hear the deafening tearing of reality; a lone stryder class emerged from its Phase Shift brandishing it's incredibly large, sharpened sword before jamming it into the back of Helga's chassis presumably through Maestro as well. Tequila and VN wasted no time, pulling out the leadwall and dumping several walls of bullet into the enemy titan before it phased out of existence.

"Fuck, we got a shifter!" Cyclops shouted over all nearby comms before her own titan rocketed into the air for their protection. "Tequila get out of there!"

VN boosted forward, tearing the dirt from the ground. The mining facility was in sight. "I don't think they liked our welcoming party, 6-4. We've got incoming." Tequila managed to at least send that message through a secure line to the rest of their unit.

Commander Bags's voice picked up in their helmets, "We see you guys. Get back in here." As his voice clicked off, another familiar tearing sound, ruptured behind Tequila.

"Left!" is the only thing Cyclops had time to say as the 10 ton sword slashed down onto VN who only barely managed to avoid being bisected by the blade. Unfortunately, VN's arm wasn't as lucky as the titan fell to the ground with it IMC counterpart leering above it, prepared to finish off both VN and Tequila. At least it would have if a magnetically accelerated chunk of heated metal hadn't knocked the phasing enemy titan off of them. Cyclops and her titan dropped from the sky, landing on the adversary before slamming her fist into its cockpit, tearing the IMC simulacrum from it, tossing it in the air, and unloading another round into the foe before he was obliterated into tiny pieces of metal. Using VN's good hand, Cyclops helped them up. "Need a hand?"

"Shut the fuck up."


End file.
